Allods Online: Undaunted Interview

Recently I had to opprotunity to interview one of Allods Online’s Game Masters about some of the upcoming changes coming with the Undaunted update. Undaunted is the fourth major update and is set to be released on October 11th, which will include a new zone for high-level players and introduce the first open-world PvP zone for players at level 45 or above.

In the interview we get some new info about the Kingdom of Elements zone and about the Mausoleum of Sparks. We talk about Astral ship customization, the revamped leveling curve for new players and learn about the two new classes coming to Allods Online, the Xadaganian specialists and Elven oracles.

Continue below for the full Allods Online: Undaunted interview and as a bonus, we have few new exclusive screenshots including the first ever look at the Xadaganian specialist (last pic).

What does the new content in Allods Online: Undaunted have to offer high-level players?

Allods Game Master: A new zone, Kingdom of Elements, brings the toughest monsters that have ever appeared in Allods, and Allods has some pretty tough monsters. The whole place is a disaster zone – first torn apart by a volcano, now by these elementals who are trashing the place. It’s actually pretty cool looking!Undaunted will also make PvP match-making easier and accessible 24/7: you open a menu, put your name on the wait list, and then go about your business until enough other players have signed up for the match. Then the game sends you a message and you jump right in.There’s also the Mausoleum of Sparks, but more on that later!

Players will now have the ability to customize the interior of their Astral ships, but so far only furniture and paintings have been mentioned. Can you talk about other things players can do to make their ships unique?

Allods GM: Astral ships are each player’s home base, and we want to let players customize their home as much as possible. We’ve already enabled players to change the outside appearance of the ship and add or remove on-board devices (like cannons) that change the ship’s offensive and defensive capabilities. Interior customization is the next step, and we think it’s a very cool one!There are hundreds of items to choose from, so there’s really a lot you can do with it. Want a throne in your captain’s quarters? Done. Want to turn your treasury into a den of horror? Also done. You can even change or remove basic structures like banisters, counters, and lights.

The intro content for players level 1-25 is being revamped and it sounds like leveling will be much faster for newcomers. What was the reasoning for the faster leveling? Are there any concerns that veteran players might think it’s too fast now, diminishing the value of their own characters?

Allods GM: We noticed that a lot of players had trouble at the lower levels. Some of that’s the good kind of trouble – the monsters in Allods really will kill you – but some of it’s the bad kind of trouble – early monsters had too much health and armor. We reduced the health and armor but the monsters can still kill you, so we think it’s a pretty good balance! Now you don’t have to spend so much time defeating one enemy, but you still have to pay attention to its attacks.That being said, veteran players will still have plenty to boast about. Only levels 1-25 will be affected by these changes, and levels 26-47 will continue to be where it gets harder. It’s easier to get into the game, but if you want to prove yourself, you still have to work for it.

Two new classes have been announced, but not much has been revealed. Can you provide us with some information on them?

Allods GM: The Empire will be gaining Xadaganian specialists, while the League will get Elven oracles. The specialist is an offensive magic user with a unique skill called Astral Aegis, which buffs a friendly target with a kind of magic mirror. The next time an enemy attacks the target of Astral Aegis, the enemy gets knocked down and receives damage. The new Elven oracles, on the other hand, are more manipulative fighters who sabotage their enemies with mental magic. Their specialty is Grim Prophecy, which increases their critical strike chance for 2 spells or 20 seconds.

Will the Mausoleum of Sparks be an accessible location in the October update or will this be something players will have to wait for in a future update?

Allods GM: It will be accessible! Players will be able to enter the Mausoleum of Sparks in groups of 6, and they can try it 3 times per week. Once you’re in, you fight to survive as long as possible against monsters and bosses that get more difficult the longer you fight. The trial ends when you die, making it a survival mode.6) How does survival mode work? What kind of prizes do the winners get?Allods GM: Every week, the group that’s first to reach certain milestones – first to defeat a certain wave of enemies, for example – will receive a small prize. If you want the big prize, you’ll have to beat the most monsters and get the best time for the entire season – that’s three months. You’ll know who all the champions of the Mausoleum are because they’ll be the ones prancing around with a special title next to their names or cool visual effects on their character. The rewards are unique and a permanent status symbol.

[imagebrowser id=812]